Ky the 44th poorest since the 1920's

[Xi Bowhunter]

I was watching a show about the energy bills and TIF on KET the other day, and they made a statement that was very sad. They said Kentucky has been ranked the 44th poorest state in the nation since the early 1920's. I don't guess I am overly shocked, but it doesn't make me feel good about our state. I'm glad we aren't #50, but #44 is nothing to smile at either. I am hoping this statistic has something to do with KY being so "rural", but we have come a long way since 1920.

[KYBOY]

I looked it up a while abck and Ky's average mediun household income is around 37K....BUT...in eastern,Ky its only around 27K or some such:( Its not good. One saving grace is the low cost of living;) Well lower than most anyway.

[Xi Bowhunter]

I looked it up a while abck and Ky's average mediun household income is around 37K....BUT...in eastern,Ky its only around 27K or some such:( Its not good. One saving grace is the low cost of living;) Well lower than most anyway.
Another thing the show said helps us out is the extremely low cost of energy in our state compared to other states because of our coal.

[Multidigits]

Lots of people on disability income.

[Xi Bowhunter]

Lots of people on disability income.
Do you think the state of Ky is any higher in percentage of people on disability than other states biased on per-capita population percentage?

[trust me]

Do you think the state of Ky is any higher in percentage of people on disability than other states biased on per-capita population percentage?

Absolutely. According to a Cornell study http://www.ilr.cornell.edu/edi/disabilitystatistics/cps.cfm, 11.8% of Kentuckians report a work limiting disability, compared to 7.9% for the nation on average.

I've seen census data from 2000 that backs this up, and will try to find it again.

[Al]

Absolutely. According to a Cornell study http://www.ilr.cornell.edu/edi/disabilitystatistics/cps.cfm, 11.8% of Kentuckians report a work limiting disability, compared to 7.9% for the nation on average.

I've seen census data from 2000 that backs this up, and will try to find it again.
WHY ??????

[Xi Bowhunter]

Absolutely. According to a Cornell study http://www.ilr.cornell.edu/edi/disabilitystatistics/cps.cfm, 11.8% of Kentuckians report a work limiting disability, compared to 7.9% for the nation on average.

I've seen census data from 2000 that backs this up, and will try to find it again.
Thank you Trust me, for some reason I couldn't find the data.

[buckfever]

WHY ??????

Just a guess Al, but I suspect Ky has a higher % of workers that are involved in blue-collar, manual labor type jobs, such as coal mining, than other states. More physical labor leads to higher disability claims. I'd imagine that states like Alaska (fishing/oil) and Maine (logging/fishing) also experience much higher than average disability claims for the same reason.

Also, I think we were in the top 1 or 2 states in terms of obesity (and their may be quite additional folks that are disabled due to smoking-related injuries).

[trust me]

BF,
You're right of course about the manual labor situation, but I'll go further and say that with rural Kentucky and its lack of industry, recent generations have been faced with the same decision as the WWII generation, i.e., stay on the farm and starve, or go North and get work. A third option is now available, however; stay home and get on the gov't draw and live in poverty but untroubled by job or responsibility.

I see this every day. A majority of young able-bodied young men are on the government teat and refuse to work, choosing to trump up or fake disability.

Basically, they'd rather be given 20 dollars than earn 100.

[th5isback5]

May be the poorest, But atleast we get by. Rather be poor in kentucky shootin stuff then rich and livin in californa are somewhere gettin shot at:D Proud to be a kentuckian

[Multidigits]

WHY ??????

Some people would rather fish than work?

[corndogggy]

I had a discussion about this with my best friend earlier this year while snowboarding. He used to live in Webster County, then went to college in Louisville, and now lives in Houston, working for Exxon. He makes about $25K a year more than me now. He said that since he has lived in both places, he can say that it really doesn't matter much, it mostly just evens out. He said yeah he makes more, but taxes are insane, housing is insane... everything costs so much that at the end of the day we basically come out even and can afford the same things.

What sucks though, is that some things cost the same across the nation. For example, if you make $50K a year in western Kentucky, you have to make $105K a year in San Francisco just to break even. However, say you want to buy a Jeep that is $25K... over here, that's half your salary... but in San Francisco, it's less than 1/4.

Actually, some things like that are actually cheaper. It's ironic that some of the best vehicle deals are down in Fort Lauderdale where all the filthy rich people live. Why aren't the best car deals in eastern Kentucky where people can't afford it? Makes no sense.

[kytrapper]

A third option is now available, however; stay home and get on the gov't draw and live in poverty but untroubled by job or responsibility.

I see this every day. A majority of young able-bodied young men are on the government teat and refuse to work, choosing to trump up or fake disability.

Basically, they'd rather be given 20 dollars than earn 100.

"Quoted by Trustme"


The third option is more of what I see in Whitley County. For every one that at one time worked and was productive then fell on physical disability there are ten that are third and fourth generation that have never done anything productive in society except produce their version of the master race. When they reproduce at least twice as fast as working people I don't see a way to get above 40th place in the nation. The cheese line had 50 in it yesterday morning before daylight. Businesses are having to put up big signs "Now hiring". Don't see no lines there. Go through eastern Kentucky and look at all the scumbag lawyers billboards hocking their" In pain call so and so, hurt bad call so and so, don't know what to do call so and so, broke down call so and so, call the heavy hitter. There's a big one out there advertising " disability consultants". Social welfare was not meant to be a way of life. It was supposed to be a little help until one could do better. They know all the angles from which doctors will sign their forms to which one toss pain pills out the door at them. I was in the hospital the other night and a guy was in the emergency room wanting pain pills for a pimple on his butt. I kid you not. Two others were also in there wanting pain pills at the same time. Ok, I'm raveing. I'll shut up.:mad:

[daking]

If you're actually interested in the facts.....

http://www.cityrating.com/costofliving.asp Will give you a comparison between the cost of living in your state and any other state.


http://www.census.gov/hhes/www/income/income05/statemhi2.html (http://www.census.gov/hhes/www/income/income05/statemhi2.html) gives the median household incomeby state.

If you were to look at, say Louisville and Indianapolis, you'd find that the cost of living in 'Naptown is about 7% higher than Louisville. You would also find that the median household income across the river is about 17% higher than it is here. That means (all things being equal), you're ten percent better off being a hoosier.

Here's another interesting little tidbit: http://money.cnn.com/pf/features/lists/taxesbystate2005/index.html

This site will show you the tax burden by state.

Here's welfare families per capita per state:

http://www.statemaster.com/graph/eco_wel_cas_tot_fam_percap-caseloads-total-families-per-capita

Now tell me, boys and girls, what does this tell us about cost of living, income, taxes, welfare and transferral of income?

[Xi Bowhunter]

Looks like, Mississippi, Montana, and West Virginia are poorer than we are. I guess I am surprised by Montana, but the others I could have guessed.

[KYBOY]

Most people dont realize but its SSI not social security disability thats the big drain. You have to have worked "X" ammount of time to even qualify for disability. Its also harder to get on disability than it use to be. SSI is a totally different thing. If you dropped out of school,act retarded and never worked then their on SSI they cant be on disability. Theres a difference. Theres a stigma attached to E.Ky with disability and its for the most part the "generational" monthers fault. Parents on SSI get their kids on SSI who get their kids on SSI etc.... I have a very good friend who worked for a funeral home for 17 years. A big steel vault feel on him. Needless to say hes ruined. It took him three years to get any kind of help. His family almost starved to death waiting. He is ashamed to go to the bank when he gets his benifits because everyone automatically assumes the worst.

[KYBOY]

When I was at the Federal law enforcement officers acadamy I meet guys from all over the US. The govt cost of living is different state to state. A guy I knew who lived in Houstan started out 5K more on the year than me. What good did it do him because he had to pay 1100$ a month for a 1 bedroom apartment:rolleyes: Same thing in CA,NY etc...

[kytrapper]

KYBOY lives over here with trustme and myself and has excellent insight on this. Old people that have worked all their lives draw a pitance and go for years to get any help. Young, strong, meth heads get signed right up with little wait. A man that has worked all his life and gets hurt unfairly gets lumped in with the lifers. It's sort of like the old women that get shaken down by airport security while creepy looking ones go right through. It's hard to explain and I think it's just part of the "Death of the west" we are facing in the next 25-50 years. We're a short time here and a long time gone. Those that steal from the system and are not truly deserving that don't stand up like a man and provide the best they possibly can for their family will have to answer for it someday.

[grouser68]

I am just thankful were a state in the United States.I could care less what we rank.If you have ever been to the Phillipines and seen entire villages living in cardboard houses on stilts, or Thailand,Somalia,Ethiopia,Kenya, or any number of third world countries, it would make you very happy to be in Ol' Kentucky.I have been to those places where the kids/babys are missing limbs, eyes,are diseased, and have their bellies pooching out do to malnutrition.I don't see alot of that in Ky. thank God!

If we ranked 50th I would still want to be here, in the overall picture, we have it pretty dang good here!

[kytrapper]

I spent ten days in Europe while in college and kissed the ground when I landed in Atlanta. I wish the mindset of the citizens was more like it was post WW2 when there was love and pride in the USA. We have so many now that just are out to get all they can get at any cost to pride in oneself.

[KYBOY]

Absolutly:) I love Ky and the more i travel the more I know Im right where I need to be. Ive been to Mexico a couple times and dreaded every minute of it. Sure theres nice parts but a great deal of it is nothing but shanty towns.."Gods little blind spot" as I like to call it.. My mom went to Europe last year and she hated it. She said she was treated like crap and the people were overall obnoxious..What kytrapper said is right. A stoner can go down to the human resources division, act retarded and the govt will throw money at them...I see it all the time. They pop out kids exponentially to get more money and more food stamp, oh and more wic....Then they wont let their kids do their homework, so they wont pass and encourage them to act out in class. So then can sign them up on SSI because they have a learning disability.

[Redlined]

Lots of people on disability income.

Ouch!!:D:D:D

[Redlined]

Some people would rather fish than work?

LMAO!!:D:D

[Xi Bowhunter]

Some people would rather fish than work?

Lots of people on disability income.


Are you pointing these stabs at somebody?

[ScentFree]

I'm a flooring manufacturing sales rep and cover Eastern Kentucky. I don't know how many of you have been in that part of the state but let me tell you how pathetic it is. My opinion is that it involves multiple reason. Top of the list is EDUCATION!!! It's a cycle, parents are uneducated with no aspirations for anything other than what they need to survive. This mentality is passed on to thier children who, in turn, put very little importance on school or ever leaving the area. Before they know it, they are grown and have very little choices in an area where there are very little choices even if they had an education. Our government needs to quit supporting these people who have decided a life of mediocrity and force them to live with decisions they have made. If they are on welfare then women should be forced to take some form of birth control in order to recieve any assistance, period. Having children is not a right, it's a privilage.

[trust me]

Are you pointing these stabs at somebody?

Look like accurate observations, rather than stabs. It's a very real problem. Too many people pounding down the lake at 65 mph, tearing down the roads on crotch rockets, and bouncing around the woods on ATVs, yet their bad backs keep them from working. I see it every day.

[Redlined]

Look like accurate observations, rather than stabs. It's a very real problem. Too many people pounding down the lake at 65 mph, tearing down the roads on crotch rockets, and bouncing around the woods on ATVs, yet their bad backs keep them from working. I see it every day.

Preach on, I work with a load of these deadbeats.Not a thing wrong with them, yet their too sick or hurt to come to work.You can bet your paycheck though if the fish are biting,deer rutting, or its a decent golf day, they're out there.Now, thanks to all these upstanding folks, our company recently revamped their long and short term disability programs.If the time comes where I should need off for a legit medical reason, I'll receive far,far less than I would have because of the abuse of the policy by these type of folks:mad:....................

[yote hunter]

Look like accurate observations, rather than stabs. It's a very real problem. Too many people pounding down the lake at 65 mph, tearing down the roads on crotch rockets, and bouncing around the woods on ATVs, yet their bad backs keep them from working. I see it every day.
i saw a tv show one time about workmans comp cheats.one guy was roofing a house while off of work with a bad back and if you have ever put a roof on a house you know you cant do it with a bad back.they even had video of him falling off the roof and getting right back up there.another guy was taped doing amature wrestling and the worst one was another guy with a bad back bronk riding at a rodeo:confused:

[KYBOY]

i saw a tv show one time about workmans comp cheats.one guy was roofing a house while off of work with a bad back and if you have ever put a roof on a house you know you cant do it with a bad back.they even had video of him falling off the roof and getting right back up there.another guy was taped doing amature wrestling and the worst one was another guy with a bad back bronk riding at a rodeo:confused:
Stuff like that is exactly why people who need help have so hard a time getting it. thats just rediculous:D I know a equipment operator who had a dozer roll over on him. He can just barely walk(wobbles more than walks) one hand all busted up and useless:( Took him three years to get assistance because of the crap like mentioned above.

[carpenterguy]

if a man ever starts working he's screwed.. you won't be able to get help if you need it in the worst of ways..like kyboy mentioned. but some idiot can walk out the school in 8th grade and sign right up with a fake injury:mad: personally i have enough trouble raising my own child without having to raise the rest of the state with my taxes..